Name: Bark 'N Ball 2026: FIESTA
Start: 2026-05-14T18:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-05-14T21:00:00-05:00
Location: mHUB Chicago

Join 200 dog and book lovers with a passion for children's literacy for an evening of food, fun, and philanthropy. Guests (both human and dog) will enjoy live music from James Sanders' Conjunto, socializing, fundraising games, a silent and live auction, a delicious dinner of Latin and South American food from Cocina Fusion, creative cocktails, photo-booth, and an exclusive doggy buffet for our special four-legged guests.
SitStayRead advances children's literacy and builds confidence in young readers by using an engaging, evidence-based curriculum that incorporates social-emotional learning and Certified Reading Assistance Dogs.
SitStayRead serves Chicago schools and community-based organizations in the south and west-side communities where the student population is 90% low-income and literacy gaps have been most significant and persistent.
Our K-2nd grade evidence-based literacy enrichment programs and family literacy events provide extra attention, a range of approaches, and joy that ignite curiosity, motivation, and confidence in our young students. And our dogs shift the energy in every space we enter, making learning more fun, and encouraging attendance.
Most recently we have focused on the following neighborhoods, in Chicago Public Schools, charter schools, parochial schools, community programs: Auburn Gresham, Austin, Englewood, Humboldt Park, Little Village, Pilsen, and South Shores.
We prioritize CPS schools, and offer fee-based Family Literacy Events to a wider range of Chicago partners, including our ongoing partnership with the Chicago Public Library. In 2024-25 we served over 1,800 students and their families, and put 5,300 new, quality books into the hands of students and classroom teachers. We are on track to exceed this reach in 2026!
Help us continue this programming and support our work by joining us at SitStayRead's annual benefit, Bark 'N Ball!